The "I Just Don't Get This Social Networking Stuff" Story

It was an ordinary day. Checking my Facebook page for the first time in a few weeks. I joined, oh, maybe 2 years ago. My friend Bill, from Arizona, was visiting here in Lancaster, and helped me set up my Facebook Page. Seemed like fun and the thing to do at the time. You know, an old guy trying to keep up to date with current technology. Started searching for people to be friends with. For a few months I found all kind of friends. And, that's where I ran into trouble. Mostly relatives and some high school class members. Then friends of my relatives started wanting me to be friends with them. I had no idea who most of them were, but I clicked on their request, and Viola, I was a friend. Then I thought it would be neat to make friends with people who had the same name as me. In no time I had over a dozen of them. Then the problems started. The friends of my relatives started sending me messages about something called "FarmVille". "What's this stuff?" I asked my wife. "Someone wants me to buy some crops or help keep their animals in their barnyard." And ....... it was about all anyone wanted to do on Facebook for a few weeks. Then I found out it was a social game that was played on Facebook. More popular than e-mail. Unbelievable! I started to de-friend them. Then I find out that I'm getting tagged in photos of people I don't even know. Seems like the other LDubs friends are tagging them, and since I have the same name, people think they are my friends. Sound confusing? My wife is looking at my Facebook Page and asks me, "Who's this Bailey Anne and this Laura who have tagged your photo?" "No clue," I tell her. Do you think she believes that? I'm having a hard time even explaining it. Then one of MY friends sends me a message and tells me they agree with my entry about what Ed Shultz called a radio talk show host. What! I hadn't even visited Facebook for a few weeks, let alone commented. OK, time to de-friend the other LDubs. Who's left. Well, if you are in to Facebook and I'm still your friend, I guess I haven't de-friended you yet. Sorry if I do, but ........ Now, I really did make those comments about windmills on Tintamarre and I really am corresponding with Hendy Reese from Barbados, but I swear that's all I've done on Facebook in months. At times I just don't get this social networking stuff. You sit by yourself in front of a computer and send messages to others who sit in front of their computer. How social is that? I'd much rather stop by and sit with them and talk instead of use the computer. Maybe time soon to close my account. Blogging's fun, but this social networking is more than I can handle. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.